Line-post coupling and marine mooring-towing devices

ABSTRACT

Line-post couplings with marine mooring-towing and other applications having a post with an enlarged head and with mounting members including a fixed or movable clevis member whereby a line with a loop may be quickly attached and detached without the necessity of tieing and untieing knots. The enlarged head may be integral with the post or detachable. The clevis may include a pair of rings and be movable on the post or one ring may be omitted and the lower clevis end affixed to the post or post base. A line anti-fraying member may also be affixed to the clevis. The device may be mounted on a tow truck, dock, or a boat, and with slight modification the device may be mounted on dock pilings and bollards or lock walls with or without a float member.

114-242. XR 3.830.187 SR nited States Patent 1191 {a 1 [111 3,550,151McGahee *1! 1451 Aug. 20, 1974 1 LINE-POST COUPLING AND MARINE D68.0238/1925 Skogen 273/159 MOORING-TOWING DEVICES [75] Inventor: Welbourne1). McGahee,

Melbourne, Fla. 7 I

[73] Assignee: Look A. Line, Inc., Melbourne, Fla.

22 Filed: Sept. 4, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 394,109

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 296,107, Oct. 10,1972, Pat. No.

52 us. on. 114/235 A, 114/230 [51] int. Cl B63b 21/00, B63b 21/04 [58]Field of Search 114/235, 230, 218; 24/115 K, 115 J, 123 H, 123 G;273/159 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 721,465 2/1903Reavley 114/218 2,962,998 12/1960 Long 114/218 3,101,491 8/1963 Salo114/230 Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix Assistant Examiner-Charles E.FraEnk fotw Attorney, Agent, or Firm-War Ray MMM,

I include a pair of rings and be movable on the post or one ring may beomitted and the lower clevis end affixed to the post or post base. Aline anti-fraying member may also be affixed to the clevis. The devicemay be mounted on a tow truck, dock, or a boat, and with slightmodification the device may be mounted on dock pilings and bollards 0rlock walls with or without a float member.

17 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures LINE-POST COUPLING AND MARINEMOORING-TOWING DEVICES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is adivision of my U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 296,107, filed on Oct. 10,1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,690 granted on Dec. 25, 1973.

This invention is related to the rapid coupling and uncoupling of a linewith a post without the necessity of tieing or untieing of knots. It hasin addition to general utility specific uses in marine mooring andtowing. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,962,998 to LONG and 3,233,934 to OSBORN maybe of interest, but applicant does not know of more pertinent art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is believed to have beenbriefly summarized in the ABSTRACT. The primary object of the inventionis the provision of mean sig mi g ly gggpligg a line and a post withoutthe use of knots.

Another ob ect IS to provide a post with diverse mounting means and withan integral or detachable enlarged head for retaining a clevis on saidpost.

Still another object is to provide a clevis having a pair of ringsslidable on the post or one ring with the distal clevis end welded tothe post or base.

Another object is to provide line anti-fraying means on said clevis andthe additional means of a float or line connected to said clevis formarine use.

Still yet another object is the adaption of the line-post r boll dmoorcoupling for use w thj docki "1| fsrt wi ia Theinvention in theforegoing aspects and in other subsidiary or related aspects will befully apprehended from the following detailed description of preferredembodiments, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows aline-post coupling with initial placement of the line;

FIG. 2 depicts the second step in manipulating the line bight;

FIG. 3 illustrates the line in coupled position and the dotted lineindicates the first step in removing the line;

FIG. 4 indicates the second step in removing the line and a modifiedclevis;

F IG. 5 shows a modified clevis;

FIG. 6 shows a further modification of the clevis;

FIG. 7 is a cross section of FIG. 1 on the line 77;

FIG. 8 discloses a modified post and head;

FIG. 9 is a cross section of another modified head and post;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a head, post, and base;

FIG. 11 depicts the assembled coupling with modifications of the clevis;

FIG. 12 illustrates an anti-fraying arrangement in the bight of theclevis;

FIG. 13 pictures a dock with the line-post coupling and a pair ofmodified marine mooring devices;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of one of the posts in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is similar to FIG. 14 showing an articulated post;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a detail of the articulated joint of FIG.15;

FIG. 17 shows a modification wherein the lower base of a post is bandedto a piling member;

FIG. 18 illustrates a marine mooring device suitable for a single pilingmember;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a boat showing the use of the line-postcouplings as cleats, anchor rode bitts, and towing bitts; and

FIG. 20 depicts a device such as shown in FIG. 13 affixed to the wall ofa lock.

Similar reference numerals are applied to similar elements throughoutthe drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIG. 1 the numeral 10 generally indicates thelinepost coupling device having a post head 11 and bolt head 11a on post12. The post 12 is affixed to base 13 which may be mounted on a woodendeck by means of screws with body 15 and screw head 14. The base in thisand other figures may be welded to metal decks of boats, ships, docks,tow trucks, etc. The post is provided with a clevis 16 with clevis rings17 encircling the post 12 whereby the clevis is slidable on the post tosome extent and the clearance between the rings 17 and the post 12 issufficient to pass the line 18 having a bight 19. FIG. 1 shows theinitial position of the bight l9, and FIG. 2 shows the bight 19 after ithas been passed through the upper clevis ring 17 and over the post head11b, a modified head integral with the post 12. FIG. 2 also shows theuse of bolts with body 21, a bolt head 20, a washer 22, and a nut 23used in lieu of the screws of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows the line bight 19after it has been passed over the head 11b, and the line 18 pulled so asto place the bight 19 in the position shown in solid lines in anoperative position. The bight 19 shown in dashed lines is the initialposition for uncoupling or removing the line from the post 12. FIG. 4depicts a modified clevis 40 wherein the clevis rings 41, 41, do notclose, but have a small space or gap 42, 42. This figure also shows thebight 19 after it has been passed through the clevis ring 41 and up overthe post head 11b. A pull on line 18 will cause the bight 19 to passback through the ring 41 next to the post 12 and free the line. Theholes in base 13 and the screws 15 or bolts 21 have been omitted forsimplicity. The manner or method in which the line bight is coupled toor uncoupled from the post in FIGS. 1-4 is the same or similar for otherembodiments. It is easy to learn, is rapid and effective, and is animportant feature of the invention. The line bight is never pulled intoa tight knot, hence quick removal is always possible.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 2 except that the clevis is modified wherebymodified clevis 52 includes an upper clevis ring 51 with weld 55 and alower clevis body 53 welded to the post 12 at weld 54. FIG. 6 is anothermodification wherein the modified clevis 60 has a ring 61 and a lowerclevis member 62 is affixed to the base 13 by means of weld 63.

FIG. 7 is a cross section of FIG. 1 on lines 77 illustrating the bolt 72threaded at 74 engaging nut 73 fixed inside the hollow post 12. The bolt72 in nut 73 holds the post head 11 on post 12 by means of the bolt head11a. A screw or bolt hole 71 is exemplary of apertures that may beprovided in base 13 for previous figures. FIG. 8 shows a modificationwherein head 80 is integral with a threaded bolt 81 which mates with abored and threaded hole 83 in post 82. While the head 80 and post 82 maybe integral, as disclosed later, it is believed desirable to have aremovable head in case the user forgets how to remove the line rapidlyin an emergency.

FIG. 9 depicts still another modification wherein the head 90 has anintegral bolt 91 passing through the inner hollow portions 93 of post 92and also passing through the base 94, planking 95 on a boat, dock, lock,tow truck, etc., the washer 96, and held into position by nut 97 inengagement with bolt threads 98. The elements except the head 90 areshown in cross section. The bolt 91 and head 90 may be connected bythreads or a weld. Also, the head 90 may be perforated and flattened toreceive a through bolt as in FIG. 7.

FIG. is an exploded view of a head 100, post 101, and a base 102 with ahole 103 which may be connected as shown in FIG. 11 with a weld seam103a and a weld seam 104. In this figure the clevis 105 is provided withrings 106, 108 with welds 107, 109. The

clevis 105 is also provided with an anti-fraying member or thimble 110.A modified line anti-fraying device is shown in FIG. 12 in the form of aleather wrapping or plastic sleeve 120.

Turning now to marine applications, FIG. 13, the numeral 10 generallyshows the device mounted on a dock planking 130. For light duty the base13 may be attached to the planking 130 by means of screws 15 as shown inFIG. 1 or by bolts 21 as shown in FIG. 2, but for heavy duty theembodiment depicted in FIG. 9 may be preferred. The piles 131, 132 maybe equipped with modified line-post devices for tethering a marinevehicle such as a boat. At the left on pile 131 the elongated post 134has a post bend 133 with base 141 affixed to pile 131 by any meansheretofore disclosed. An upper eye ring 139 has a base 140 similarlyaffixed to the pile 131. The elongated post 134, its length dependingupon the rise and fall of the tide if near or on an ocean, culminates ina head 138. The clevis 135 with rings 136, 137 is provided with atethering line 142 connected with the lower clevis ring 137 and with anail or screw into the top of pile 131 at 143 for the purpose of permitting a boatman to raise the clevis 135 above the water 150. On the rightpile 132 the clevis 135 is movable up and down the post 147 by means offlotation collar 144. The bands 146, 148 in post 147 culminate in lowerbase 145 and upper base 149 which are affixed to the pile 132 by meansheretofore described. In the case of pile 131 the bight 19 of the line18 is first passed through the eye 139, up over head 138, and thenplaced in the position indicated in FIG. 1. The line bight 19 is thenpassed through eye 136, eye 139, over the head 138, and the line 18 ispulled whereby the bight l9 ends up in-the position shown in FIG. 3.This procedure is reversed to remove the line. The device on pile 132does not use this principle, however, and the floatable clevis 135 isuseful for the boatman who wishes to secure his line with a seamansknot. The particular advantage of the clevis 135 with the floatationcollar 144, which, it will be understood, could be used with the clevis135 on pile 131 in lieu of the tethering line 142, is that a shorterline may be used between the boat and clevis since line slack need notbe provided to take care of the rise and fall of the tide. Clevis oneither post 134 or post 147 is free to move up and down with waves ortides and thus lessen the shock on the line and boat fixtures as chocksor bitts.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of the post 134 shown on pile 131 in FIG. 13having a head 138 and wherein base 151 is provided with holes for screwsor bolts with heads 152 for use in affixing the base to the pile. Thepost 154 in FIG. 15 with head 153, base 155, is provided with anarticulated joint with bifurcated member 156 connected to lower postmember 157 with a bolt having a bolt head 158. This feature, of moreutility than post 134 in FIG. 13 or FIG. 14 when excessive currents ortides might tend to cause metal fatigue and breakage in post 134, isshown in more detail in FIG. 16 where the bifurcated member 156 includesarms 160, 161, with a bolt having a head 158 provided on the distalthreaded end with a nut 159 to provide free motion between the lowerpost member 157 and the base 155. Instead of using screws or bolts thepost 171 in FIG. 17 with base 173 at the end of lower post bend 172 maybe held to pile by means of strapping 174. This feature permits theattachment of the base 173 to a pile without the necessity of usingscrews or the boring of holes to receive bolts. It is desirable, ofcourse, that all parts of the line-post apparatus be made of materialresistant to water and salt water corrosion.

In FIG. 18 the line-post device is adapted for use in mooring a marinevehicle to a pile having a head 181. It will be understood that pile 180may be adjacent to shore or as, more usual, it may be offshore in a bodyof water. The post 182 is provided with a head 183 projecting through aring 184 having a connecting member 185 connected to another ring 186encircling the pile 180. A lower ring 188 encircling the pile 180 isconnected to the upper ring 186 by integral post 187 and to the post 182by a lower bent portion 189 of the post 182. The clevis 194 providedwith rings 195, 196 encircling the post 182 is tethered to floatingpickup can 192 with a line 193. The pickup can 192 floating on water191, as found at offshore mooring buoys, together with the floatationcollar insures that the boatman wishing to tieup at a mooring spar willexperience a minimum of difficulty. The bight 19 of the line 18 ispassed from below upward through ring 184 and over head 183, then placedin the position indicated in FIG. 1 while holding down the line 193 soas not to interfere with subsequent operations. The bight 19 is thenpassed upward through rings 195, 184, over the head 183 at which point apull on line 18 will place the bight 19 in the position indicated inFIG. 3. The removal of the line involves a reverse procedure. A marinevehicle moored with this apparatus may move around in a circle andalways head into the wind as well as move up and down with waves andtides to reduce the likelihood of damage.

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a boat 197 wherein 198, 199, 200, 201, 202,and 203 symbolically represent line-post coupling devices such as shownin FIGS. 112 which may be used as or in lieu of cleats, anchor rodebitts, and towing bitts. In particular the tow line 204 (for boats orskiers) connected to double-ended eyespliced towing line 205 may bequickly attached to or detached from the line-coupling devices asexplained for FIGS. 1-4. The speed with which the eye-spliced towingline 205 may be released is of particular importance. Seaman knots inthe lines around the towing bitts may be difficult or impossible tountie especially when the knots in the line have become wet with wateror tightened with strain. Such problems are eliminated with the use ofthe instant invention. It should be noted once again that for lightloads the screw-held device of FIG. 1 may be suitable, but for heavyloads the bolthead device of FIG. 2 or the device of FIG. 9 may bedesirable depending somewhat upon the kind of boat deck. The base of thecoupling device may be welded to metal decks if desired.

FIG. depicts the use of a line-post coupling device such as that shownin FIG. 13 on pile 131 adapted to be affixed to the inner bulkhead 210of a lock wherein the boat enters the lock at one water level anddeparts at a second water level. In this case the base 211 on post 212would be near the lower end of the lock while post 212 would beelongated toward the top of the lock and be encircled by postrestraining ring 214 near the post head 213. The clevis 215 with rings216, 217 encircling the post 212 is provided with a floatation collar218 necessary because of the extreme changes in water level in a lock.The extra ring 214 does not pose additional problems as heretoforeexplained in connection with FIGS. 13 and 18. This arrangementeliminates the necessity of a deckhand constantly being on the alert topayin or payout the line while the water level in the lock is changing.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there has beendisclosed various embodiments of a rapid connect-disconnect line-postarrangement of general utility with adaptions of the basic structure foruse with a dock, mooring pile, lock, and boats for towing purposes andother uses.

While for purposes of description I have shown and described specificembodiments of my invention, it will be apprehended by those skilled inthe art that changes and modifications can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A line-post mooring device comprising a marine support meansfa postmeans, a base member on the lower end of said post means mounted on saidsupport means, a clevis member, a pair of ring members connected to saidclevis member encircling said post bight of a line, and means connectedto said clevis member to raise said clevis member above the water level.

line;post coupling device in accordance with claiin Fviihereiii s aidfii'iiiiiie support means is a marine dock pile.

3. A line-post coupling device in accordance with claim l wherein saidmarine supportmeans is a marine lock bulkhead.

4. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidlower end base member and said support means are connected with screws.

5. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidlower end base member and said means with sufficient space therebetweento pass the support means are connected with bolts.

6. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidlower end base member and said support means are connected withstrapping.

7. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1 wherein saidmarine support means is a pile member emerging from a body of water.

8. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7 wherein saidmeans connected to said clevis member to raise said clevis member abovethe water level comprises a tethering line connected to the lower ofsaid pair of ring members and to a point high on said pile member.

9. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7 wherein saidmeans connected to said clevis member to raise said clevis member abovethe water level comprises a floatation collar on said clevis member.

10. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7 wherein saidpost means includes an upper base member affixed to said pile member.

11. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7 furthercomprising dock planking wherein said pile member supports said dockplanking.

12. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7 wherein saidpost means includes an enlarged head relative to the diameter of saidpost means on the upper end of said post means, and further comprising asecond base member connected to said pile member, and a third ringencircling said post means below said enlarged head connected to saidsecond base member.

13. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 12 wherein saidpost means includes an articulated joint between said post means andsaid base member.

14. A line-post mooring device comprising a single mooring pile, a pairof spaced ring members encircling said pile connected with an integralpost, a third ring member connected to the upper of said pair of ringmembers, a second post member having an enlarged head connected to thelower of said pair of ring members, and projecting through said thirdring member, and a clevis having another pair of ring members encirclingsaid second post member for mooring purposes.

ber, and a line connecting said floatable pickup member and said clevis.

1. A line-post mooring device comprising a marine support means, a postmeans, a base member on the lower end of said post means mounted on saidsupport means, a clevis member, a pair of ring members connected to saidclevis member encircling said post means with sufficient spacetherebetween to pass the bight of a line, and means connected to saidclevis member to raise said clevis member above the water level.
 2. Aline-post coupling device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said marinesupport means is a marine dock pile.
 3. A line-post coupling device inaccordance with claim 1 wherein said marine support means is a marinelock bulkhead.
 4. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1wherein said lower end base member and said support means are connectedwith screws.
 5. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1wherein said lower end base member and said support means are connectedwith bolts.
 6. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1wherein said lower end base member and said support means are connectedwith strapping.
 7. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 1wherein said marine support means is a pile member emerging from a bodyof water.
 8. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7wherein said means connected to said clevis member to raise said clevismember above the water level comprises a tethering line connected to thelower of said pair of ring members and to a point high on said pilemember.
 9. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7 whereinsaid means connected to said clevis member to raise said clevis memberabove the water level comprises a floatation collar on said clevismember.
 10. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7wherein said post means includes an upper base member affixed to saidpile member.
 11. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7further comprising dock planking wherein said pile member supports saiddock planking.
 12. A line-post mooring device in accordance with claim 7wherein said post means includes an enlarged head relative to thediameter of said post means on the upper end of said post means, andfurther comprising a second base member connected to said pile member,and a third ring encircling said post means below said enlarged headconnected to said second base member.
 13. A line-post mooring device inaccordance with claim 12 wherein said post means includes an articulatedjoint between said post means and said base member.
 14. A line-postmooring device comprising a single mooring pile, a pair of spaced ringmembers encircling said pile connected with an integral post, a thirdring member connected to the upper of said pair of ring members, asecond post member having an enlarged head connected to the lower ofsaid pair of ring members, and projecting through said third ringmember, and a clevis having another pair of ring members encircling saidsecond post member for mooring purposes.
 15. A line-post mooring devicein accordance with claim 14 wherein said single mooring pile includes anenlarged head above the upper of said pair of spaced ring membersencircling said pile.
 16. A line-post mooring device in accordance withclaim 14 further comprising a floatation collar encircling said mooringpile below the lower of said pair of spaced ring members encircling saidpile.
 17. A liNe-post mooring device in accordance with claim 14 furthercomprising a floatable pickup member, and a line connecting saidfloatable pickup member and said clevis.